Musharraf from appearing in Bugti case

QUETTA–The Anti Terrorist Court (ATC) accepted an application submitted by a lawyer of former president Pervez Musharraf, seeking a one-day exemption from appearing before the court in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.

Advocate Akhtar Shah, counsel for Musharraf, submitted an application in the court on Tuesday seeking a one-day exemption for his client on grounds of ill health.The ATC judge accepted the application and granted exemption to the former president from appearing before the court on Wednesday.

Advocate Sohail Rajput — the counsel of Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti — had confronted Musharraf’s lawyer and pleaded that the application should be rejected since the accused was deliberately not appearing before the court despite repeated orders.

Former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also appeared before the court. Sherpao’s counsel informed the court that his client had nothing to do with the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Meanwhile, the counsel for former Balochistan home minister Mir Shoaib Nowsherwani also requested the court to separate his case from that of Musharraf, since his client was not involved in any military operation against Bugti.

Officials of the Balochistan health department informed the court that medical teams were formed to conduct a check-up of the former president. They assured the court that the medical report about Musharraf’s health would be presented before the court after his check-up.

The court then adjourned the case till March 17.

The ATC in Quetta has already indicted Musharraf in the Akbar Bugti murder case.

Nawabzada Jamil Akbar Bugti, son of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, had nominated the former president and other high-ups in the murder of his father. The Balochistan High Court had already issued arrest warrants of the accused persons.

Despite the ATC’s repeated orders, the former military dictator has not appeared before the court — citing one reason or the other.

Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in August 2006 in an explosion in a cave where he had taken refuge during a military crackdown ordered by Musharraf who was president and army chief at the time.